Travel Guides

Otavalo

Ecuador is famous for its colourful, indigenous markets, and the
best known of these is the market at Otavalo. It dates back to
pre-Incan times, when jungle products were brought up from the
lowlands to be traded for highland goods.

Every Saturday is a wonderful sprawling mix of rich colour,
smells, and the sounds of energetic bargaining, an essential part
of trade and an art in itself. Spread over three plazas and the
surrounding streets, thousands of local otavaleños
in striking traditional dress sit among their wares, doing hard
business with tourists and locals alike.

The Plaza de los Ponchos is the main area for crafts like
woollen blankets, bright ponchos and jerseys, colourful bags and
woven tapestries. It is possible to buy almost anything from fresh
fruit and rain sticks, to jewellery and dried lentils. First thing
in the morning is the noisy animal market on the edge of town where
llamas, pigs, horses, and cows are bought and sold after much
haggling.